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7/21/2011

ellie's first pod change

Ellie is now on day 4 of her Omnipod saline trial. Since yesterday was day 3, and the disposable pod needs to moved to a different site every 2-3 days, it was time for Ellie to take off the old pod and place a new one on.

We took a video so her could show her away-family members what an insulin pump is all about, and for the the CWD's within the DOC how she loves podding!

Things I noticed after watching the video

~ Ellie's hands are dirty when she is removing the old pod (you can see where she was blending a pencil drawing by the mark the side of her hand.) I can assure you she washed them thoroughly when the video 'breaks' for the first time.

~ I used a vegetable oil soaked cotton swab to loosen the adhesive on the old pod. I know this is probably not the recommended procedure, but it was what we had on hand. I let it 'soak' for about 15 minutes and as you can see it came off pretty easily.

~ Ellie does not normally wear her t-shirts all tight and pulled back above the midriff. This was for easy viewing of the pod change.

~ I did not instruct Ellie to swab the top of the saline bottle with an alcohol pad before inserting the needle. Naughty. I will do better next time!

~ I did not instruct Ellie to pinch up the skin while inserting the new pod. I forgot! Maybe this is why she flinched. I think pinching the skin up before insertion ensures the needle and cannula go into fat, not muscle. Correct me if I am wrong!

~ Any thing else? Do any of you 'podders' have any tips or suggestions for next time? We will do one more pod change before we return the trial pump back to the Endocrinologist. They will need a week to process insurance and then we will have a bright, shiny Omnipod insulin pump of our very own. Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It was a really great idea to make this, so people can get an idea about the pod if they are interested. great idea. I'm still impressed about the tummy sites. And, I also love all your explanations post video.

Yayyyyy, Ellie! You go girl!! I have to admit though, I got kind of emotional at the insertion part. Our rep said that we would be able to try the saline trial before Aiden, and I am dying to know how it feels! She is so brave!! We went through all the insurance stuff and have our appointment on 8/1 and hopefully our endo will give us the green light! :) Can't wait!!!

I have never been more proud of you Ellie...although I have to admit I teared up several times watching this just realizing all you have to go through on a daily basis. Keep on keepin on Ellie Bellie!!!! Luv Auntie J

We deactivate the 'old' pod before putting UniSolve on it to loosen the adhesive...that way if it lets loose on it's own (which it's done before) you don't have an alarm to deal with! Plus you can let it loosen while you are getting the new pod ready...just cuts down on the time.We wipe out the viewing window with a tissue after the cap is removed. Well, more like shove a corner in, but whatever! This soaks up any insulin that comes out during the priming process and cuts down on condensation that can obstruct the view of the cannula.You definitely want to hold the pod up a bit when putting it on your tummy...minimizes the chance of hitting something other than that fatty layer. Nothing too extreme...just lifting it so it pulls the skin up a little works just fine.Oh, and we also pull the 'old' pod off starting at the cannula end. That way the cannula comes out first and it's not shifting while you pull the rest of the pod off...just a comfort thing more than anything, but it could also help with the blood squirting! ;)

wow...what an incredible video. So informative. The only thing I'd agree with (that I know about) from comments is getting Unisolve wipes, we didn't know about these until a while back and were using baby oil, which worked but not like unisolve. Thanks for sharing this it helps even the adult t1d like my husband whom is still in the beginning steps of switching to the pod.

My Ellie uses the pod and really enjoyed the video of your Ellie changing her pod out! She hasn't ever watched anyone else do it! Thanks for sharing! We do shut the old one off and start the priming on the new one before taking the tape off (just faster). I use baby oil, but really need to get the adhesive remover...it's nicer. I don't worry too much about bubbles in the syringe (it looked like Ellie was a little worried about the air in the syringe) and have never had an issue with the pod priming them out that I know of either! Now I have had quite a few pods not do the 2 beep thing after inserting the insulin. This makes you think it's not full enough to operate. However, When I'm sure I've put in the 100 units, I've gone ahead and primed it and they have always worked so if you don't get the 2 beeps after filling one, don't necessarily think it's bad. I have had a handful beep dead right after injecting the insulin! This is frustrating and annoying. First, always carry 2 extra pods with you...then if the first one dies you have the second one as back up. Second, although it is NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL, you can suck the insulin out of the pod if you just stuck insulin in there and the pod beeps dead upon filling it! Call in pods. They replace them for you and you should get replacements for any pod errors or issues you may have!I'm glad you all are enjoying the new pump! Let me know if you have a question! I'll be more than happy to chat! sarajeanfincham@gmail.comHappy Pod-ding!!! XXXOOO

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I am a Jesus girl, a wife to my high school sweetheart, and a mother to three pretty cool kids. I spend my days as a teacher (we homeschool), an artificial pancreas (my 9yo daughter has Type 1 Diabetes), a friend to a Louise (I am Thelma), a litter box scooper (we have 4 cats), and everything else necessary to live an AWSCHUM life